Weekly Sale Item: Mother Sunrise

Italian ambient sound master Alio Die (best known for his previous collaborations with ambient & experimental artists like Robert Rich & Vidna Obmana), and younger Italian newcomer Opium, collaborate under the project name Sola Translatio on their first project for Hypnos, MOTHER SUNRISE. Combining an entrancing mix of natural recordings (water, wind, soil, forest) and electronic textures, MOTHER SUNRISE conveys a descent into the natural world at its grittiest, most organic, and most truly “alive.”

Usually ambient & atmospheric music is primarily electronic, or perhaps utilizes guitars or other acoustic instruments, with electronic treatments. While this recording does integrate such conventional instrumentation in part, it derives its truly unique flavor through the liberal use of natural “location” atmospheres (recorded in the Far East as well as Italy), as well as organic percussive elements.

REVIEWS:

“Two of Italy’s most respected artists in electronic sound, Alio Die (Stephano Musso) and Opium (Matteo Zini), have combined their abilities on the album MOTHER SUNRISE. The duo, working under the name Sola Translatio, uses a sonic vocabulary that seeks to reach the human in us by speaking to our memory. Each of the eight individual tracks incorporates familiar environmental sounds with beautiful and unique electronic textures to produce an album of introspective and sensual ambient music. Each piece slowly develops its sense of place and mood and gradually colonizes the mind with an aural landscape only as varied as the intellects and experiences used to interpert this music.” –Chuck VanZyl, host of Star’s End radio

“Sola Translatio is the collaborative project between Alio Die and Opium. Many Ambient/ Space/ Atmospheric fans know Alio Die for his work with Robert Rich and Vidna Obmana, but few know his partner Opium, a relative unknown in the Ambient genre, but be sure your familiarity is unimportant because this recording can be appreciated without knowing any of this. Mother Sunrise is a fine Ambient recording that was undertaken in a profoundly interesting way, as it consists of mostly minimal electronic processing and percussion, and more importantly natural “location” atmospheres, or field recordings. This is important to note because as soon as this recording comes on there is something that makes this recording distinctly different and profoundly interesting. This is true Ambient, it’s not really atmospheric, it actually reminds me quite a bit of Robert Rich’s Somnium but I’m sure that’s just the use of the natural environmental sounds to compliment the minimal use of contrasting timbres. With Mother Sunrise Sola Translatio have created a profound excursion into the depths of a natural landscape ambience. Fantastic recording!” –Matt Borghi, The Organization of Sound

“The master/novice relationship at the core of Sola Translatio spawns a 74-minute series of scenic organic/electronic permutations. Veteran ambienteer Alio Die collaborates with newcomer Opium to construct the sprawling droneworlds illuminated by Mother Sunrise and decorated with tastefully-applied field recordings.

Trickling rivulets and warmly glowing tones seep from superior spells to simply simmer in a vast expanse of protoplasmic goo. Slow-moving cycles of warm air float on the rays of mother sunrise (13:59), hovering above avian chirps and fluid splashes. Clattering bamboo and thumping waterdrums (and maybe a little throat singing?) drift easily into this peaceful reverie. With nearly imperceptible waves and a backing of insect chirps, awaken spirits drones resolutely, gathering higher layers of wisp as it mutates. Low rumbles (percussive? mechanical? volcanic?) stir beneath the continual, shimmering organ breeze of lullaby for the desert moon (5:18). The hushed gurgling of an undercurrent in castevoli is entwined with synthesized streamers and occasional flutey twirls, closing this experience in their tranquil cascade.

Often still, but never stagnant, the musically-tinged atmospherics of Mother Sunrise evolve with eight tracks of organic listening at its most sublime. The veteran/rookie combo of Sola Translatio scores an 8.8 with their slow-motion environmental dronescapes.” –David Opdyke, The AmbiEntrance